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Hocus Pocus?

A wail of utter distress reverberated relentlessly throughout his head.

“Jenna, calm down, what’s happening? ”

“It’s Sam. He’s vanished.” Her distress ratched up several notches again as she thought about what had happened.

He sent calming thoughts in her direction and then appeared by her side at the bottom of the stairs. There was no sign of the little boy she was supposed to be babysitting for the evening, but Tom could sense he was quite close.

Jenna’s eyes widened on seeing Tom at her side. They’d never met although Tom has known her all her life.

“Jenna, you know who I am.” It was a statement, not a question and she did indeed. His was the voice in her head she had been aware of for years. He calmed her fears, made her feel safe and protected.

“Did I make him vanish?” she asked miserably. Sam had apparently climbed out of his cot, and launched himself from the top of the stairs just as Jenna had raced towards him. Then he’d just disappeared into thin air.

Tom first thought it was entirely possible she might have done just that, although he didn’t project this particular opinion. She was only seventeen and she had never done it before. She needed a few more years maturity, and practice before she would be able to control her emotions and thus her power. But no, Sam was not too far away, and perfectly safe.

“But, I just thought hell, he’s going to fall and hurt himself..” Jenna tailed off and broadcast another bolt of distress which made Tom wince.

“Oh no, I didn’t send him to Hell did I?” I’m supposed to be in charge of him for the evening.

Tom sent a little cartoon into her mind. Sam, in his pyjamas, sitting at the foot of a devil like figure and gurgling happily trying to chew its pointed tail. It didn’t help!

“I was only joking, Jenna. You love your little cousin, and you may well have sent him somewhere safe, certainly not to Hell. He’s not even two yet. Just think hard about Sam and see if you can sense him nearby.”

She wrinkled her brow in concentration and raced up the stairs. Sam was sitting in his cot, talking nonsense to his teddy bear, and looking very pleased with himself.

“Sam, out?” he questioned and held out his arms to Jenna. He then promptly disappeared and re-appeared sitting on the floor by his toybox giggling with mischief.

Tom deftly replaced Sam’s ankle band, which he’d spotted in the cot. Little devil thought Tom, he’s a bit young for this sort of nonsense but he’s now grounded again. He sent warm and cosy thoughts to Sam, who yawned and fell asleep as soon as Jenna put him back in the cot.

“Jenna, Sam, is just like you, he can hear your thoughts and he has similar powers, so he needs to wear the band, just like you did, until he’s old enough to learn to deal with it. I didn’t hear Sam, when you took his band off but I suspect it because your distress signal was so strong it blotted out everything else. It wasn’t your fault but without his band he could disappear on his own and create all sorts of mayhem.”

Tom was aware that Jenna was still largely ignorant of how different she was. She wasn’t convinced it wasn’t some sort of magic, and she still wore her ankle band occasionally when she felt overwhelmed. She had to make a choice at some point, as he had some years ago. He hoped she would make the right choice. Living with his powers muted he felt like a bird with its wings clipped. He wanted to make a difference to the world, and when they were ready he would introduce Jenna and Sam to the others who were different but gifted. Together they were trying slowly to make the world a better place. It wasn’t magic but it was certainly some gifted people with the ability to tap into universal energy.

Jenna turned as she felt a shifting current of air. The stranger she knew so well had vanished from the room but not from her head. And she knew somehow he would always be there when she or Sam needed him.

Tom caught this news just as he left. He connected with Sam, who was now wide awake sitting up in his cot, cheerfully sucking his toes and his chubby little ankle was bandless. Now what, thought Tom, this one could be a bit of a challenge. What else could this baby do? These bands were supposed to be childproof!